Exposed
by phoenixroses
Summary: "At the same time, both Annabeth and Percy were thinking very similar thoughts, though they had different plans on how to deal with the situation. One planned to face it head on, while the other planned to run." The mortal world is thrown into the world of the gods as the mist disappears and the world of the demigods is revealed. Set after BoO. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: It's kinda obvious, but I'm not Rick Riordan**

 **Chapter 1**

For the first time out of his three years at Goode high school, Percy Jackson was on time.

The other students peered at him as he trudged through the hallways, stopping right outside of Mr. Blofis' classroom. He paused and took a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Immediately the hallway burst into whispers. Last year, Percy Jackson had disappeared for an extended period of time; almost missing the entire school year. Nobody had heard from him since then.

But what shocked them the most was that this wasn't the Percy Jackson they remembered. They had never seen the Percy that trudged through the hallways, he had always strolled down with his head high and a smirk on his face. Percy Jackson was well known throughout the school as a comedian and a troublemaker, but also as a loyal friend.

Percy Jackson had changed over the year he was gone.

* * *

Percy collapsed on a desk in the front of Paul's classroom. His stepfather looked at him worriedly as Percy later there with his head down.

"How many monsters were there?" Paul asked worriedly while pulling ambrosia and other medical supplies out of a drawer. "How bad are you hurt?!"

Percy looked up at him with a look of defeat on his face.

"There were no monsters."

Paul was getting worried. He couldn't figure out what is was. Unless-

"Is your mother alright? Are your friends ok? What about Camp?!" Paul was getting frantic. What if something had happened to Sally? Sometimes getting information out of Percy was like feeding a baby medicine. It just didn't happen quickly or easily.

"Mom's fine. However, Camp probably won't be." He said bitterly. "The gods are going to be revealed to the mortal world."

Paul gripped his desk tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"What?!"

* * *

Chiron looked grimly at the assembled campers. He motioned for Annabeth to step forward, so that she could explain the situation. He couldn't believe that it was happening. That after thousands of years teaching heroes, the situation that he had despised the most was finally happening.

Annabeth brushed back her curly blond hair and fixed the campers with a steely gaze.

"Hecate has lost her control over the mist."

She waited patiently for a moment as whispers erupted throughout the crowd.

"We don't know how, but her control over it is slowly fading. Hecate is no longer able to keep the mist as thick as before, and within a couple weeks, the mist will be completely gone. We suspect that it has something to do with Gaea."

Annabeth's voice shook slightly as she spoke the earth goddess's name. Only Chiron noticed the small slip-up and he smiled at her sadly. He had come to care for the girl over the years.

For centuries, Chiron had trained demigods. He had the honor of working with some of the greatest heroes ever known, and in each one he saw the same thing. They were slowly being broken inside.

It started slowly, sometimes with the death of a friend. But eventually, they reached their breaking point, and Chiron did all he could to put them back together, but it only worked on occasions.

It was always the most admired and legendary heroes that suffered the most.

Chiron had been working with these children for what seemed like forever, and it never got any better. He remembered every betrayal and death. Each one hurt him just as much as it had the first time.

* * *

Annabeth took a deep breath, composing herself. _She hates feeling so weak. Gods, she couldn't even say Gaea without experiencing the heavy flow of memories._

Annabeth was slightly frustrated. She was supposed to be a role model. She was supposed to be _strong_. However, all Annabeth wanted was to go back home and live a normal life. Maybe try to reconcile with her family. She didn't know how many more quests or demigod "jobs" she could handle.

Annabeth wanted to go to college and have a real life. She would get a job and live in a nice apartment with Percy. Annabeth was ready to be normal.

Of course, everything had to become screwed up again.

Annabeth cleared her throat, causing the campers to fall into silence once again.

"Once the mist finally falls, the outcome will be chaotic. The mortals will suddenly see monsters that were supposed to be myths. We have decided that the best course of action is to explain the situation to the mortals right now, so that they are more prepared when the inevitable occurs. This-"

"Wait."

Annabeth was cut off by a very familiar voice. She smiled and turned to face Thalia Grace.

"So how exactly do you plan on explaining this to the mortals? I don't mean to be a party pooper, but I doubt that all of them are just going to believe you automatically. Especially since this touches on the matter of religion. Most mortals aren't just going to decide to believe in Greek Gods. They need proof." Thalia stated matter a factly, while clutching a silver bow in her had. The circlet, marking her as lieutenant of the hunters, rested proudly on her head.

As many campers nodded in unison to Thalia's words, Annabeth sent her friend a small glare. They hadn't had this part completely figured out.

"Well," she started. "We were hoping to have a couple demigods with visible powers demonstrate. Then-"

"But that could jut be put off as special effects." Stated one of Annabeth's half sisters. "I'm going to bet that at least half of the mortals will think we are crazy."

Annabeth sighed. This was getting nowhere. If only people would stop interrupting.

"As I was saying," she said with a sigh. "The gods will also help out. I don't know the exact details, but they have something planned."

Chiron stepped in to finish.

"This will be a major change for most of you here. Camp will still be open for anyone who needs to stay. However, almost people who end up staying will be revealed as demigods to the rest of the world. If you would rather remain inconspicuous, we can make other arrangements in the mortal world. Since this is a situation that we clearly haven't encountered before, the gods are making an exception to the ancient law, and will be helping relocate any demigods. You have to make your decision by tomorrow." Chiron finished his long explanation, and beckoned Annabeth to follow him into the Big house.

Right now, it was best to give the campers time to talk and make their decisions.

* * *

Percy's day was going terribly.

He needed a break, but _no_ , of course he can't take one. They had just defeated _Gaea_ for gods sake and they didn't even get two months to recover. Percy just wasn't ready to tell the whole world about himself.

He had plans for his life. Didn't the Fates understand this? He just wanted a normal life with Annabeth. Percy had never wanted to be a hero or a leader. He was perfectly content with staying in the background.

During all those quests, Percy had one dream that kept him going. He imagined himself living a nice, normal life in New York. He would live in an apartment and have a nice well paying job. When he was younger, he imagined Annabeth as his best friend. Perhaps she would have lived next door. But now, he imagined creating a life with Annabeth. He wanted to propose to her, get married, and just maybe have kids.

Of course, this would be further in the future.

Right now, he wanted to take her on normal dates. Ones that weren't interrupted by gods, monsters, or titans dedicated to take over the world.

But the Fates had just thrown a huge monkey wrench into every single plan he had for his life.

This wasn't something that would ever end. Unlike his many quests, there was no "when this is done". He could never go back. He could never again be the mortal Percy who attends Goode High School. He could never walk the streets of New York unnoticed. He could never-

Percy shook his head. There was no use in dreaming about what might have been or what he was losing. Percy had to worry about what was happening now.

The school year had just started, but Percy wasn't planning on going back to Goode. He had only went to tell Paul because he wasn't sure he could face his mother.

Percy knew that Paul would understand. His stepfather would let Percy disappear from the mortal world. He would miss his family, but it was best that they wouldn't know where he was. _Who_ he was.

Percy hated feeling weak. He couldn't do anything about the situation. He couldn't help hide his friends from the challenges that they were sure to face as being revealed as demigods.

In less than a week, everyone would know about the gods. Everyone would know about Percy.

* * *

At the same time, both Annabeth and Percy were thinking very similar thoughts, though they had different plans on how to deal with the situation.

One planned to face it head on, while the other planned to run.

 **Hey! I've had this idea for a long time after reading many disappointing fics about Percy going back to high school, or the gods being revealed to the mortal world. I couldn't find one that I liked, so I decided to write my own.**

 **This story will have Percy go back to high school, but it won't be Goode (I think I might make one up). Throughout this they will have to solve the problems related to the mortal world knowing about their existence. This will NOT be a series of one shots.**

 **Also, my other story is NOT abandoned (Slytherin's Heir). I'm mainly focusing on that one right now, so updates for this story might now be that frequent.**

 **And to anyone reading Slytherin's Heir, I'm going to update that soon (I'm about halfway done with the next chapter).**

 **So thanks for reading! If you have any questions please pm me or review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Poseidon and Hermes stood in front of the pleading demigod, contemplating his requests. They both cared deeply for the boy, but this was almost going to far. Zeus would surely be upset if they helped the Hero of Olympus escape.

But they knew he deserved it. After all he had done for them, he deserved a chance at normality.

Poseidon looked sadly at his son, knowing that there was no good option.

"If you choose to stay, you'll be a hero. You'll be admired for your deeds. You'll finally get recognition." He said softly, knowing that this argument wouldn't change the boy's mind.

"Please."

The word was laced with pain, and Poseidon couldn't help but wince at demigod's tone. His normally bright green eyes seemed to have lost their light, and were almost void of emotion. Poseidon had never seen him so broken.

At that moment Poseidon knew that he would do whatever he could to help. Hermes met his eyes and nodded slightly, agreeing with Poseidon's decision.

The two gods turned to Percy Jackson.

"We will help you."

* * *

Annabeth blew a lock of hair out of her face as she stared at the borrowed television. The whole thing looked rather odd, with random parts sticking out everywhere, but she knew not to let the looks fool her. After all, it was made by the Hephaestus cabin. She wouldn't be surprised if it had some sort of weird tech built into it.

She tapped her fingers nervously. What if this didn't work? The mortals had no good reason to just start believing that the gods existed. This touched on the topic of religion; something that many mortals wouldn't agree with.

Annabeth was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of a very worried newsman.

They had just gone from talking about the weather - it was supposed to be a bright and sunny day - to showing live footage of something that should have been impossible.

A shaking camera, one probably held by a civilian, showed the sea began to rise. However, it wasn't a tsunami. Instead of the waves coming crashing down on the beaches, the ocean rose into a massive wall.

The filming was quickly switched to a more professional video camera - which Annabeth was grateful for. She could now see everything in finer detail.

She watched as the sky began to grow cloudy, ruining the chance of a "perfect, cloud-free day." The sea had stopped its climb at this point, hovering over the beaches like some sort of bird waiting for its prey.

The whole situation felt pretty ominous and Annabeth would have been worried if she hadn't known what was going to happen.

The sea began to part; thousands of gallons of water rushing to the side. A walkway was left through the center, showing off the ocean's sandy bottom that was littered with shells and rocks.

Then Annabeth saw him. Poseidon, Lord of the Seas.

He walked gracefully through the opening in the waves, hands outstretched in a gesture that showed that he was in charge of the water. Annabeth knew that Poseidon could do this with a mere thought, but the motions added a more dramatic effect.

The news casters went silent. They clearly didn't know what to say. Nobody had prepared them for this situation - the closest it had been was the comic books they read as a child.

As Poseidon stepped onto the beach, the massive wall of water fell downwards, returning to its rightful place. He stood confidently amid the crowd of spectators, head held high.

He was waiting for something, and Annabeth knew what.

The group erupted before them, spraying sand, dirt, and asphalt several meters into the air. A giant hole was left in the middle of the street, far enough away from the civilians to do no damage, but close enough to make an impression.

The shock and fear of the people only increased when they saw skeletal hands began to clutch the sides of the hole, pulling themselves out. Full skeletons emerged, wearing creepy grins that would have scared away even the most fearless person.

A large portion of the crowd scattered, but from the faithful news crew stayed behind, catching all of it on tape.

Annabeth was rather impressed. These people had guts. However, they hadn't gotten to the best part of the show yet.

The skeletons crowded around the hole; waiting for something to happen. And it did. Hades, Lord of the Underworld rose from the chasm. His face was deathly pale and his dark robes fluttered around him.

Half the news crew was gone in an instant.

Hades went to stand next to Poseidon on the beach, assuming a lazy position. He looked like he couldn't care less about what was happening, but Annabeth knew that each god was pressured to do their part perfectly. If they didn't, the plan could be ruined.

One brave newscaster began to approach the men on the beach. He clutched the microphone in his shaking hands as he stepped forward.

Annabeth knew that he wouldn't get far. There was one more god to make his appearance.

Zeus, Lord of the Skies. He always had a flair for the dramatic, and Annabeth was expecting some stellar entrance. She got it.

A lightning bolt crashed to the ground, charring the sand around it. Flames licked the air and created a mountain of fire.

Worried civilians eyed their phones carefully, most likely wondering if they needed to call the fire department. A rather short lady ran up to the flames, throwing a bucket of water on them. Due to her nerves, both the bucket and the water were flung into the inferno, leaving her empty handed.

Annabeth bit back a chuckle as the flames began to die down. She knew that the women's efforts in quenching the blaze couldn't have done anything, but it looked like it.

The fire had reached the ground, revealing Zeus with a rather serious look on his face. He walked over to join his brothers, standing between the two other gods.

The news crew waited a couple seconds, most likely wondering if this was the end of the display of power. When they were sure that it was relatively safe, a few stepped forward.

Then came the explosion of words that almost every interviewer has. They had kept it in for as long as they could, and now came the word vomit.

"What was that?"

"Who are you?"

"How did you do those things?"

"What's with the fire?"

"Are those skeletons real?"

"Are you superheroes?"

"What are you?"

Zeus silenced the crowd by holding up his hand. One by one, the three gods spoke their titles to the crowd, ignoring the gasps and looks of disbelief.

Before more questions could be asked, the gods disappeared, leaving a single DVD in their place.

Annabeth smiled knowingly. It looked rather odd having Greek gods leave a DVD for the crowd, but she had already talked it over with Hephaestus. He had recorded all of their quests and adventures over the years. Why try to explain it all when they could just show them?

Of course, Annabeth just had to hope that some mortal believed it. She already knew that a large portion of the film would be discredited for special effects. She wished that special effects hadn't gotten so good over the years.

A man rushed forward and snatched the DVD. He quickly ran to his van in attempt to get it back to the news headquarters so they could play it back.

The cameras then focused on a newswomen who began to talk about the events that occurred.

Annabeth switched her attention away from the TV to a small fountain in the Athena Cabin. A mist had already formed above it, allowing the sunlight trickling in to create a rainbow.

Annabeth threw in a drachma, crossing her fingers in front of her. It was a rather mundane and senseless thing to do and Annabeth knew that it wouldn't help at all. However she felt briefly comforted by the childish action, almost as if it was actually giving her luck.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering."

Annabeth's stomach twisted in nerves. She had already tried to IM him twice today, but it wouldn't connect. Could something have happened?

With her heart beating furiously, Annabeth tried again to connect. She opened her mouth to speak, internally hoping that it just might work.

"Show Percy Jackson?"

It came out as a question, but Annabeth didn't care. The water began to shimmer but Percy's face didn't show. Annabeth waited for a few seconds, but she knew that it wouldn't connect.

The water fell back into the fountain with a loud splash, spraying a thin mist on her face.

Annabeth sighed. She hated not knowing where Percy was or if he was okay. It might have seemed like she was a possessive girlfriend if it had been any other normal relationship, but Percy and Annabeth were special. After Percy had disappeared for months while he was at Camp Jupiter, Annabeth was understandably worried about his whereabouts. She just hoped that he wasn't in any trouble. Perhaps, a god or goddess was interfering with the iris message?

She switched the TV back on, half watching it. Annabeth was deep in her thoughts as she waited for the DVD to be played on the news.

* * *

It was shocking how easy it was to erase a person. He hadn't expected to look completely different, and feel completely different in the span of a few hours. But that's how it happened. It only took about four hours to give him a completely new identity.

Percy Jackson was sitting on an old, beaten up sofa in the living room of an apartment - his apartment. The television was playing, but Percy wasn't watching it. Instead, he was shuffling through a stack of papers. It contained his new birth certificate, school records, and information about his new life. Percy was working on memorizing the information about his new life.

Poseidon and Hermes had arranged everything for him. Since the mist was going to disappear soon, they did most of it the old fashioned way. It was surprisingly simple to create a new identity with a birth certificate. They also went to the effort of enrolling him in school. Percy was grateful for the gods' help, but he couldn't help wishing that he didn't have to go to school anymore.

Percy ran his hand over the cold metal of his new watch. The watch seemed to be well made, but was nothing fancy. Actually, it looked alot like a family heirloom.

He slipped it on his wrist, fastening the clasp. Immediately, Percy's features began to change. His dark, black hair became a light brown with a slight curl and his trademark green eyes turned a darker shade of brown. Brown eyes and brown hair were a common combination, allowing him to blend in easily.

However, it wasn't just his face that changed. His skin became paler, losing the tan that he had acquired from spending hours in the sun. His body lost a large portion of muscle and he became a few inches shorter.

It was odd, staring at a complete stranger in the mirror. He no longer recognized himself, since every distinguishing feature that he owned had been transformed.

Percy slipped off his shirt.

He didn't feel a change in his strength, and he guessed that he could still do the same amount of push-ups, but his body lacked the muscles that had taken him so long to gain. The largest surprise was the lack of scars.

He had gotten used to the pale lines circling his body, reminding him of the many monsters that he faced. He had known that there wouldn't be any scars left, but it was weird seeing him with none.

This boy in the mirror looked too perfect.

He looked as if he had never faced a real hardship in his life. He looked like a normal teenager - the kind of person that Percy longed to be.

He walked back to the couch and plopped down. Percy slipped on his new glasses that counteracted his dyslexia. He wasn't really sure how they worked, but he was grateful for the thick, black frames that allowed him to read without struggle.

Percy continued to flip through papers, reading about his new hobbies and past school that he supposedly attended.

Then he heard it. Her voice.

Percy looked around wildly, searching for Annabeth. His eyes landed on the TV screen and found the familiar blond staring back at him.

He began to listen to her voice, knowing that she was trying to explain the Greek Gods to the mortals. Percy hadn't expected to see Annabeth speaking on the news, but he supposed that this was a better way to do things. Her message would reach a larger group of people much quicker.

"I know this is hard to believe," she was saying. "It was hard for me too. Your world has probably just been turned upside down and you are beginning to question any beliefs that you previously held. Our world has been hidden from you for centuries now, but due to recent circumstances, we have been forced to reveal ourselves. With the help of other demigods I have compiled several videos that show who we are. Being a demigod sounds great and all, but it's not always fun and games. However, before you watch I must inform you of one thing: the monsters you see on here are real, but they don't attack mortals. Unless you are a demigod, you have nothing to fear. You life will continue on and the only thing that will change is that you can see the monsters now."

The screen changed to show a younger Annabeth on the run with Thalia and Luke. The footage was slightly blurry and looked different from the films produced in a studio. Already, there was less doubt about the authenticity of the video.

Annabeth's voice was heard again as the film started.

"There have been many quests that have happened in the past, but we have decided to show you the most recent, and important ones. As you will later see, these relate to events that you have heard about." She paused, and Percy knew that Annabeth was watching the younger version of herself with her self proclaimed family. The family she had made before Luke's betrayal, and before Thalia was turned into a tree.

She forced out the words, clearly holding back tears.

"This is where it all began."


	3. Chapter 3

**Ahhhhhh. Kinda wrote another chapter fo** **r this story instead of writing chapter 10 for Slytherin's Heir. Sorry guys. I was trying, it's just….. I have complete writers block and barely any motivation. Yeah. Um. Here's chapter 3 of Exposed…**

 **Chapter 3**

 _Ten days before_

Percy clutched the sheet of paper in his hand tightly. The edges began to crinkle, but Percy didn't care. He had more important - _more dire_ \- things to figure out.

He raced through the hallway, rounding corners with remarkable speed. Percy was pretty sure any normal person would face plant on the ground. But Percy wasn't normal. He ran from people, from _monsters_ , as a living.

He was running out of time. Soon, it would be too late. Soon, _he would be late_.

Percy grimaced as he scanned each doorway. Why was it so difficult for him to find the one place that he needed to be?

Where was Mrs. Starn's classroom?

* * *

The teacher smiled brightly as Percy walked through the door, not seeming to care that he was several minutes late. Of course, it would be unfair of her to punish him on his first day. This school was gigantic, just like a labyrinth.

Like _the Labyrinth_.

The stream of memories began to flood Percy's mind. The twisting, never ending hallways that each contained a new danger. The hopelessness that he had felt in the suffocating darkness. The fear for the safety of Grover, Tyson, and Rachel. The fear for Annabeth.

Percy blinked rapidly. He'd left that life far behind. He was no longer Percy Jackson. He _couldn't_ be Percy Jackson anymore.

"I assume you're Alexander Hawthorne? The new student?"

Percy nodded, assuming what seemed to be casual stance. Unknown to the rest of room, his muscles were clenched tightly in a position that would allow him to make a quick exit. Or an attack.

Percy was always suspicious of possible monsters in disguise. Speaking from experience, it was normally the teachers who had those types of ulterior motives.

"Yes ma'am."

The other students stared at him, sizing him up. Percy felt like bacteria being studied under a microscope - every small detail being filed away for later.

His thoughts were rather weird sometimes.

"I'm Mrs. Starn, the English teacher. There's an extra seat in the back of the room." She waved with her hand in the direction of the empty chair and Percy stumbled over.

He mentally cursed the other students. They had left their backpacks in the aisle, causing Percy to trip, and look very much like an idiot on his _first day_.

Percy plopped down in his seat, ignoring the curious stares of the people around him.

They might as well just speak up instead of staring with their mouths open. A few students bore a strong resemblance to fish with all their staring.

Percy had already decided to make his interaction with the other students minimal. He wasn't sure how long he could go without slipping up.

He didn't want to admit it to himself, but that wasn't the only reason. Percy didn't want to get attached to anyone. He couldn't afford to get attached. He would only end up betraying them like he had his family and friends. He would end up leaving them.

Percy couldn't ruin anymore lives.

But no matter what Percy thought, the Fates always seemed to have other plans.

Percy's plan for avoiding interaction was immediately ruined when a boy sauntered up to him.

His bright blue eyes had a twinkle that scared Percy slightly. He had seen a twinkle like that before. In Leo. _In the Stoll brothers_. This boy had the eyes of a troublemaker.

He shouldn't have thought of his friends back at camp. The mere thought of the life he was leaving behind brought a pang to his chest. Percy tried to shake away his feelings but they were almost overwhelming. His mother. Paul. Annabeth. He had just _left_ them. He had left him just like his father had left him as a baby. He had done the thing that he despised most in others. Yet, he knew he had to.

"Hey, Alexander." The boy said brightly.

Gods, everyone seems to be on some sort of antidepressant at this school. Percy had never seen a group of people so happy on a Monday.

"Actually, I'm going to call you Alex now. Alexander's a mouthful isn't it?" He paused, clearly waiting for an answer.

Percy just nodded, overwhelmed. This boy talked _fast_. It was a constant stream of words exploding from his mouth. Percy adjusted his glasses nervously. What was this boy here for?

" _Anyways_ , I'm Emmett Clay." He performed a sloppy bow with a goofy grin. "More importantly, I'm your new friend!"

* * *

 _Six days before_

Emmett had shown Percy around the school, and Percy had adjusted to the layout of the school surprisingly quickly. Even though Percy had his doubts at the beginning, the two were starting to become friends. Actually, Emmett became Percy's only friend. The other students had already made their groups, and since Percy had joined halfway through the year, he didn't belong in any of them.

Percy was still behind in most of his classes. It wasn't his fault that he was saving the world and skipped class.

"Hawthorne?"

Percy was broken out of his thoughts as he looked around the room for the unlucky person who had been called on. Glancing at the board, he pitied 'Hawthorne'. The problem looked rather difficult.

"Alex Hawthorne?"

Percy cursed as he looked up at Mr. Glen, the math teacher.

He was Alex Hawthorne.

"Care to answer my question?"

Percy felt his face begin to grow warm as he stared at the board. He had absolutely no idea how to solve the problem. Percy had gotten pretty far behind in his studies because of the gods and their many quests.

"Um…." he continued to stare, trying to make sense of the random scribbling. It might as well have been another language. "Sorry sir, but I'm not really sure how to answer this."

Mr. Glen looked momentarily confused.

"You don't know how to…"

Then, he saw where Percy was looking.

The teacher gave a short laugh. "We haven't started the lesson yet. I was merely asking you to tell us a little about yourself since you're new here."

The class snickered.

Percy thought he had been blushing before, but that wasn't anything compared to this. He was a tomato. A literal tomato.

"Oh. Um…." Percy wished he could go bury himself in a hole. He'd just embarrassed himself in front of the class and now couldn't think of anything to say.

"I guess I like the beach and uh, sleeping?"

Cue more laughing.

Percy was ready to walk out of the class. At that moment, he didn't think it could get any worse.

Mr. Glen, picking up on Percy's embarrassment, quickly diverted the class's attention.

"Pop quiz today!"

Percy buried his head in his arms.

* * *

 _One day before_

Percy stared at the huge stack of papers that had been deposited just outside his apartment. Papers that included his "birth certificate" and fake school records. Papers that included every small detail of his new life.

Couldn't the gods have given this to him _before_ he started school? Right now he had math homework and a history essay to worry about. He didn't have the time to memorize a whole bunch of information.

Percy sighed as he leaned over to pick or the pile.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 _Present time_

His life was being broadcasted to the world.

All of his mistakes, all of his regrets, all of his failures were being shown on national television. Everyone could see what he'd done. What he'd sacrificed. Who he'd lost.

Percy hated every minute of the film, but somehow couldn't take his eyes off it.

There was something weird about seeing himself from a different point of view. It was strange to watch his twelve-year-old go through a normal routine. He almost didn't recognize the child whose largest problem was getting expelled. Of course, life wasn't easy back then with Smelly Gabe and their financial problems, but it seemed a lot less complicated than the hurricane of a life he had currently.

Percy was buried deep into his thoughts, listening to Annabeth's voice and watching himself on tv. There was something soothing about hearing her voice again. He hadn't realized how much he missed Annabeth. It had only been about ten days, but Percy already felt like he was missing a part of himself.

He watched as the screen flickered off, showing the end of the film. Well, the first part of the film.

After about three hours, the beginning of the demigod world had been explained and his first two quests had been shown.

According to one of the news casters, there would be a new portion every night for the next week.

Percy thought it all seemed like a television show. A fantasy show that had no chance of ever being real. The show that was his life.

Percy slowly raised himself from the sofa; cracking his back loudly as he stood. He had been sitting in the same position for the past three hours, barely moving a muscle.

Percy smiled wryly as he walked to bed.

What would school be like tomorrow?

 **So I'm going to explain a little bit more about Percy.**

 **As AnnaUnicorn had said, Percy seems a little OOC for leaving his family and Annabeth. However, Percy has his reasons, which will be explained throughout the story.**

 **Right now, the story is beginning to start. The past two chapters and most of this one have been setting up the story.**

 **Throughout the chapter it gives references to the time that it's happening (10 days before). This means that it's 10 days before the video of the demigods aired. Hope this wasn't too confusing. I felt it would be better for Percy to start school before the video was released. I also wanted to set up his life at school. This is why it skips through a lot of time. The rest of the story isn't going to be exactly like this.**

 **Okay, so in the last chapter I mentioned that Percy had a watch that allowed him to change his appearance. He is now going by Alexander Hawthorne in school.**

 **Yeah. I think that explains a lot of things.**

 **Any more questions? Just ask!**

 **^that sounds a little like an advertisement. Whatever….**

 **Thank you all for reading - and reviewing ;)!**


	4. Chapter 4

**The last chapter got one review. So, THANK YOU SO MUCH Hunter0608 (who has written 3 out of the 9 total reviews). I'm really glad that you're enjoying this story!**

 **But the rest of you,** ** _please please review._** **It's nice to get feedback**

 **Anyways,**

 **GUESS WHAT…**

 **THIS STORY HAS FINALLY STARTED! Yeah…. the last 3 chapters have basically set up the rest of the story**

 **ALSO, THIS STORY HAS A PLOT. YES, YOU HEARD ME RIGHT… A PLOT. I'm really proud of that. This story actually has a direction that it's going in.**

 **Thank you so much for reading and ENJOY!**

 **Chapter 4**

Sally Jackson was curled up on her couch, pressed up against the corner. In one hand she clung tightly to the blanket that Paul had gently later on her hours before. In her right hand she held her cellphone - a rather old model that she rarely used. Raising a demigod son had enforced some habits strongly - such as reducing use of electronics.

Sally rubbed her eyes, smearing the almost-dried tears. Her whole face was tinted red from worry and strands of hair fell all over her face. Sally knew she was a mess, but she didn't care. All that mattered was finding Percy.

Where was he?

Sadly, she had almost gotten used to Percy disappearing. He was normally roped into some sort of quest and had to go save the world. She could barely deal with him doing that.

Sally knew that the whole camp considered Percy to be a hero. He had saved Olympus on multiple occasions and was trusted by most without hesitation. He has always come back from his quests victorious, and his reputation kept building with each one. Percy seemed like the ideal, _the perfect demigod_.

But nobody knew Percy like she did.

She had watched him come back a little more broken each time. Percy had come back baring more scars and injuries. He had frequent nightmares, which he tried to hide from her, but it was hard to _when he woke up screaming at one o'clock in the morning._

The monsters were enough to drive a person insane. Monsters straight out of myths that were driven by one goal: to kill demigods.

Percy was strong. He hid his fear of the monsters and didn't let it get to him. She was shocked when her twelve-year-old son came back and seemed almost the same. He had witnessed such horrors, and yet, still continued to be the comedian she loved.

What she knew had really broken him was the many deaths that he had seen. This was different from the monsters and the physical pain that he experienced. This was worse.

Sally wished she could help him. Every attempt that she made was shrugged of with a simple 'I'm fine'. Sally knew not to press the topic too much. He would come to her when he was ready.

At least, that's what she had thought.

Percy was gone, and from what Paul had said, it didn't seem like he wanted to come back.

Sally slowly punched a number into the cell phone, her hand shaking. Raising the phone to her ear, she listened to it ring.

"Hello?"

"Chiron, it's Sally… again." She tried to keep her voice steady, but it began to waver. "Have you heard anything from him?"

"Sally," Chiron said gently, trying not to upset her further. "We're trying, but it's only been a couple hours since you last called. This is going to take time."

The line went dead. Sally had hung up

::

::

Percy wasn't sure why they even bothered having school today. Einstein High School was in a state of absolute chaos. Nobody could focus on anything school related because of the news.

"I think it's a load of crap. Probably some sort of high tech prank."

"Did you see the video?! That was crazy!"

Percy sighed as he wove his way through the crowd; skillfully dodging every obstacle in his way. Well, almost every obstacle.

"Go away Emmett."

The shorter boy was practically vibrating with energy. "But-but did you see! _The Greek Gods!_ Do you think they're real?"

Percy made a mental note to never give this boy coffee. Most students were zombie-like in the morning, but not Emmett. He never seemed to run out of energy.

"I mean, it could just be a large prank. Maybe it was the _Canadians_! They could have hacked our televisions. _Maybe the Canadians are going to take over the world!_ "

Percy's mouth formed a slight smile. He would make sure to mention this to Frank. He could imagine the look on Frank's face when he told him about 'Canadians taking over the world'.

Of course, that would only happen if he ever saw Frank again.

And he couldn't. He couldn't ever see his friends and family again. Percy felt his stomach drop at the thought. He hadn't even said goodbye.

"Alex?"

The tone was gentle and the boy's face had assumed a slightly worried look. Percy guessed that he had been staring off into space.

"Uh..sorry." Percy rubbed the back of his neck and tried to force a smile onto his face. "Um.. I don't think that's how it works. Why would the Canadians want to take over the world."

"Whatever. The Canadians aren't as important as your opinion on this." Emmett turned serious all of a sudden. "Do you believe in the Greek Gods?"

 _Yes_.

"I'm not sure." Percy knew that he couldn't firmly stand for either side. At least not yet. Not when it was such controversial topic. Percy couldn't afford to bring attention to himself.

"Come on! You have to have some opinion! Which side are you leaning towards?"

Percy just shrugged.

"Ok fine."

Percy was surprised that Emmett gave up so easily. The boy was very stubborn and would stick to a question like glue. Percy visibly relaxed, happy that the subject wasn't being pressed.

What Percy missed was the evil glint in Emmett's eyes. He blamed it on the lack of sleep. Memorizing facts about his life was difficult, and once you throw in some homework, it becomes deadly.

"You better decide by 4th period though. Apparently we are debating the topic in Starn's class."

Percy frowned, but internally screamed. Why? Why did they have to debate the one topic that Percy was trying to avoid?

"You can't miss the debate either. It's a large portion of our grade."

Percy opened his mouth to curse, but was stopped by the bell. It was probably a good thing, since he wasn't sure what would slip out.

It might have been in Greek, but it would most likely be some pretty colorful English.

"Time to go to class!" Emmett linked his arm with Percy's and began to drag him to their first class.

Percy groaned as Emmett began to skip while humming a song underneath his breath.

The whole thing felt rather kindergartenish.

::

::

Percy was kind of impressed with Mr. Glen. He didn't think that they would actually be doing anything in the class, but Mr. Glen had begun to teach his lesson like normal, skillfully ignoring the elephant in the room. Halfway through the class period, the had almost finished the lesson and would probably have time to do their homework in class. The only difference was that the class payed less attention to his explanations, and instead whispered and passed notes. Percy wasn't included in any of these conversations but he could guess what it was about.

The whispering was interrupted by a short knock on the door.

Mr. Glen paused mid sentence. "Stanley, can you get the door?"

Stanley Harpold, a short boy with wild hair and thin wire formed glasses, groaned and got up from his seat. " _Come on_ , Mr. Glen. I have to get the door every day. Just because I'm closest doesn't mean it should be only my job. Or you could just leave the door unlocked."

The teacher smiled at Stanley's joking tone. "Locking the door is standard protocol. Stop complaining and let Emmett in."

Emmet had left the room a good ten minutes ago to use the bathroom. However, Percy knew some of Emmett's habits by now, and strongly suspected that the boy was trying to get out of class. Percy didn't blame him. Math was pretty boring.

Stanley dramatically opened the door to reveal Emmett standing casually in the hallway.

Emmett gave a slight grin as he walked back into the room "Took you long enough, I was waiting outside forever."

He turned, addressing Mr. Glen. "Sir, I hate to tell you how to do your job, but you might need to teach Stanley how to open a door."

"Sit down."

And just like that, Mr. Glen jumped back into the world of mathematics; explaining concepts to students who really couldn't care less.

Finally, after an excruciating long amount of time, the bell rang. Percy shoved his homework in his bag rather forcefully, and walked over to Emmett's desk.

They had been seated on opposite sides of the classroom. Since Percy was the newest student, he had to take the desk nearest to the front. The front of the classroom was usually reserved for the dedicated students, and the misbehaving ones who had been punished. This was the most likely place to be called on.

Percy didn't really care. He figured that Mr. Glen wouldn't call on him too much, since he clearly didn't have any idea what he was doing. Maybe he should get a tutor.

Emmett was taking an impressively slow amount of time to put away his supplies. He was fumbling with the zipper to his backpack awkwardly, while only using one hand.

Percy sighed. "You need some help there?"

Emmett looked up at him, face flushed bright red. He had gritted his teeth together, almost as if he was holding back pain.

Percy frowned, and reached down to help the boy. He quickly pulled the zipper shut, brushing against Emmett's arm.

The boy gave a slight gasp.

"Are you ok?" Percy was beginning to get worried. Was he hurt?

Emmett gave a short laugh that seemed forced. "Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine."

Percy raised his eyebrow.

"Um, my arm is sore from the uh.. push-ups that I did yesterday." Emmett looked away.

"Push-ups?" Percy knew that Emmett wasn't the most athletic and usually tried to get out of exercise.

Emmett nodded, not meeting Percy's eyes.

Percy was almost positive that Emmett was lying, but he didn't want to pressure him. Emmett would tell him if it was something serious.

"If you ever need help with anything, I'm here for you." Percy tried one last time.

"I'm really fine, but thanks."

Mr. Glen walked over to them. "Boys, do you need anything?"

"Sorry sir, we were just about to leave."

Emmett began to walk quickly to the door. "Bye Percy, see you at lunch!"

Mr. Glen turned to Percy with a questioning gaze.

He just shrugged. "Bye, Mr. Glen! I have to get to P.E." The gym was on the opposite side of the school, meaning that Percy had to run in order to get there on time.

Percy was surprised when the teacher handed him a pass.

"What-?"

Mr. Glen gestured to the clock. "You're going to be late."

The bell rang; a sharp chime that always made Percy jump out of his seat. It was his demigod instincts - the ones that had kept him alive on several instances.

"Oh. Thank you."

He rushed out of the classroom, determined not to miss too much of P.E.

::

::

Second and third period passed by uneventfully. Both his P.E. and Science teachers seemed to have the same idea - to play a film for the class. He could tell that both teachers were still processing the events from the day before, and didn't want to deal with the students.

Percy didn't really care. He was using the time to prepare himself for Language Arts, the class where they would have the debate. He hadn't really decided what side to be on. Would he say that the Greek Gods were real, and draw attention to himself? Or would he be a disbeliever and go against, well.. everything that he knew.

Percy was glad when the time for lunch came. The food was a distraction from the whirlwind of thoughts in his head.

Percy and Emmett sat together alone in the hectic cafeteria. In the center was a dean screeching into a microphone, ordering the students to follow the school rules.

"WAIT UNTIL IT'S YOUR TURN TO THROW AWAY YOUR TRASH! YOU! IN THE RED SHIRT, SIT DOWN!"

Percy massaged his forehead, trying to alleviate the headache that was beginning to form.

He stared out the window, watching the civilians walk from many stories above. Some were headed to their work, while others were simply going on a stroll. Several held a newspaper, which Percy couldn't read the headline, but he knew what it said.

Greek Gods: Real or a Scam?

The story was being read all over the world. It was the most important thing that had happened in a while.

Percy's gaze seemed to be pulled in the direction of the Empire State Building. The building that had held so many memories for him.

He suddenly jumped in his seat, shocked at what he saw. Percy knew that the Mist was failing, but he didn't think it would happen so quickly.

Olympus had flickered in and out of sight. Soon, it would be visible to all the mortals.

"Is something wrong?" Emmett asked him, displaying the half chewed food in his mouth.

"Yeah," Percy said offhandedly, still staring out the window.

::

::

Growing up, Annabeth had never dreamed of being famous. She had seen all the popstars and celebrities on TV, but she had never shown any interest. When she was three she had decided her career - an architect - and had never strayed from that path.

This is why Annabeth felt so out of place as she sat in a brightly lit room, surrounded by cameras. Next to her, the host of one of the most famous talk shows frantically raced around the room.

Annabeth sighed as the host finally plopped down on the large, leather chair across from her.

"We air in four minutes!"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, shutting out the blinding lights. Annabeth just had to make it through this one interview, about twenty minutes of her time. Then, she could retire to her apartment and read. She might order pizza.

But of course, the next "episode" aired tonight, and Annabeth had to watch. It was painful for her to relive those memories. She wished Percy turn up. It would be easier if he was there with her. The day before Paul had come to explain the situation. Percy hadn't been abducted by any god or monster - he had chosen to leave.

For some reason that hurt more than not knowing where he was. Why had he left? They had always worked out everything together. She could help him through whatever problem he was having, but apparently he didn't need her. Apparently he didn't _want_ her.

"5….4….3..-"

Annabeth sat up quickly. She had lost track of the time. The interview was starting.

"Good morning! Welcome back! I'm your host, Gloria, and today we have a special guest. Welcome Annabeth Chase!"

Annabeth stared straight at the camera, forcing a smile on her face.

 _Only twenty minutes_.

 **So…. we should talk.**

 **Slytherin's Heir.**

 **It hasn't been discontinued and I promise that I'm really trying. Just, I'm having trouble writing it. But I will try to update soon. Yeah. Thanks for sticking with me guys.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Not really happy with this chapter, but eh.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan**

 **Chapter 5**

Percy's eyes widened as he stared at the screen in the front of the classroom.

It was her. _Annabeth_.

His heart ached as he watched her talk. It was an interview that Ms. Starn was showing to the class prior to the debate. Annabeth seemed to be comfortable in front of the camera, with her relaxed posture and easy laugh, but Percy knew differently. This was Annabeth, his best friend, his _girlfriend_. He knew her better than he did himself. Which is why Percy knew that Annabeth was terrified on that stage.

She bit her bottom lip slightly and reached up to brush her hair back over her shoulder. She tapped her foot lightly on the ground. Her hand was set right next to her sword - concealed of course - and her eyes kept drifting to where the exit must be.

It was the little things that showed Percy how nervous Annabeth was. Of course, he could understand. Annabeth was up there representing the gods and the demigods. One slip up could ruin everything.

Percy looked around the room, studying the other students. Seats were assigned in this class, meaning that most students were separated from their friends. However, that didn't prevent whispering and passing notes.

Today was different. The class was deathly silent as they watched the interview. This was a topic that everyone was interested in.

The boy behind him, Trey Westfall, tapped Percy's shoulder and handed him a note. Trey pointed over to James Sanders, indicating that the note was from him, and whispered in Percy's ear, "pass that to Michael."

Michael was another popular football player in Percy's grade.

Percy stared at the slip of paper in his hand, slowly reading the sloppy writing. The ink had blurred in several places, but he was still able to make out the letters.

 _Hey, she's kinda hot ;). The whole smart blond thing is working for her._

Percy's heart pounded in his chest, but he turned back to James and forced himself to roll his eyes. James winked in return and went back to staring at the screen.

Percy began to lean over to pass the note to its intended recipient, but paused. Did he really want to hand that around? Every time he heard people saying things about Annabeth, anger (or perhaps jealousy) filled his gut. He wanted to stand up and shout at them to shut up. He knew that Annabeth would judo flip anybody who talked about her like that.

Percy settled back back down in his seat, crumpling the slip of paper in his fist. It was somewhat satisfying, destroying the words and making it illegible.

Percy was shocked out of his thoughts when he heard the next question on Annabeth's interview.

"What can you tell us about Percy Jackson? We've heard from a source that he was missing. Can you elaborate on that?"

Annabeth seemed to compose herself before answering. "Percy has chosen not to be seen publically." She stopped, showing that she didn't want to explain any more.

Percy's stomach twisted. Annabeth's face shown with hurt and betrayal, _because he had left her._ It was all his fault.

"Don't you think that Percy should be here? After all, he's one of the main demigods in the videos that we've seen so far."

"I think it's his choice. You haven't seen everything that he's been through, that we've been through, yet. It's been hard reliving some of these memories, and I think he needs a break. It's been hard to be thrown into the spotlight so soon after everything."

"Has something happened recently? You said that it was difficult to be thrown into the spotlight _so soon._ "

"You'll see in the videos." Annabeth seemed to be getting slightly irritated.

Percy wasn't really sure why the interviewer asked the next question, but he supposed that they did it for the gossip. He also wasn't really sure how they knew to ask the question, since they had only seen the videos of Percy and Annabeth at twelve and thirteen years old. Had their feelings really been that obvious.

"How long have you and Percy been dating?"

Annabeth's face grew red, but not with a blush. "And how's that relevant to anything? This is my life, not your new gossip story. We are done here." She stood from her seat, storming out of the room

Percy's heart sunk. What did she mean by not answering the question? He wished that Annabeth had said yes. He didn't like the way that the interviewer had so flippantly asked the question, but now he was worried about Annabeth's unclear answer. Did she consider them broken up when he left?

Percy stared at his desk aggressively, burning imaginary holes in it with the intensity of his stare. He couldn't get upset now. He still had to make it through the rest of the class period.

"Okay class! We are going to have the debate now. Arrange your desks in a large circle so that everyone can see each other." Ms. Starn said loudly, trying to be heard over the noise of the students.

Percy sighed and picked up his desk, dragging it towards Emmett. He wanted to be next to a friend during this discussion.

Every week Ms. Starn had debates in her class over current events. This was Percy's first one, but he had heard from Emmett that it was more like a discussion than a debate. They shared their opinions and created counter arguments.

It just happened that he joined in on the most exciting week so far, with an interesting and controversial topic.

"Make sure that everyone participates. You have twenty five minutes to talk, starting now."

Gabby Walker, an outgoing student who enjoyed class, started the discussion. "Okay guys, to start let's take a poll. Raise your hands if you believe in the Greek Gods based on the evidence that's been provided."

She raised her hand in the air, followed by roughly five eighths of the class. Percy considered for a moment, but raised his hand as well.

Gabby looked around the room. "It's pretty split up. To the people that didn't raise your hand, why? How about we start with you Brandon?"

Ms. Starn didn't seem to care that Gabby was controlling the conversation currently. Most of the other students seemed rather reluctant to talk, so at least she was getting a conversation going.

"Well, uh- I think that a lot of those things could be computor edited in. Special effects can look pretty realistic," Brandon said nervously while staring down at his desk. He seemed uncomfortable being the center of attention.

"But why would anybody go this far to make people believe in a Greek Gods? It's a lot of work to do just for a prank or something." Emmett jumped in, stating his opinion. "I, for one, agree with what's being said."

"However, you can't just come in and announce that one religion is true. What about all the other ones? This is countering everyone's religious beliefs." Leia Wister stated, voicing the thoughts of several students.

Percy decided to speak, hoping to sway some of the class. "You don't have to think about them as gods. You can still believe in your other religion and consider the Greek gods as uh…. super powered beings?" He mentally scolded himself. That sounded stupid.

The class fell silent, staring at Percy. A blush rose to his face, spreading down to his neck.

"Great point Alex. Let's move on. Class, what's your opinion on how the demigods and monsters should be handled?" Ms. Starn broke the silence, introducing a new question to get them started again.

Percy hated the way that was phrased. _Handled_. Like the demigods were some sort of pest that needed to be dealt with.

"We should exterminate all the monsters!"

Percy smirked slightly at the comment. The boy who said it - he couldn't remember his name - didn't understand how things work. Yes, you can kill monsters, but they'll eventually reform. There's no permanent solution.

The next comment chilled Percy down to his bones. It came from James Sanders, the football player that Percy was beginning to despise.

"Didn't the Athena girl say that monsters only hunted demigods?" He flashed a rather feral grin that revealed all his teeth. "Why don't we just get rid of the demigods?"

Percy wanted to go punch James right there. How could he think that? Percy and his friends had risked their lives several times in order to save everyone. They had saved Manhattan! But this meant nothing to James.

Percy was furious, but he tried to keep his face neutral. "You just said it James _; the monsters only try to kill demigods._ Which means you're…. uh- we're safe. Why don't we just leave them alone? Demigods and mortals have lived separate lives until now. Why don't we just keep it that way?"

James began to anger. His face tinted red and his eyes seemed to flash "Well-"

And at that moment Percy felt a rush of energy. It was like a wave, slamming through him and chilling him to the core. Percy collapsed on the floor, as did several others in the class.

 _The mist is down_ , Percy thought right before he fell unconscious on the floor.

 **Thank you so much everyone for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. You guys are really great!**

 **AgitatedDog9288 - Thanks! And don't worry, Percy is going to be dragged back (rather forcefully), but that's not until a later chapter.**

 **AsianPear - Thank you so much! I'm really glad that you like it.**

 **the flower bed - THANK YOU! Also good luck on your exams!**

 **Hunter0608 - Wow. Ok so you've been SUPER supportive this whole time. Thank you soooooo much. Your reviews make me really happy every time I get one. :)))))**

 **myers4girls - Thank you so much! Your reviews made me smile. A lot.**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is crap. Sorry about the long wait.**

Chapter 6

"Are you okay?"

Percy groggily cracked his eyes open, peeringat the blurry figure in front of him. His head pounded violently. All Percy wanted was to close his eyes and go to sleep, but he slowly forced himself to sit up.

Every move hurt. What had happened?

"You collapsed along with about 40 other students." The person said softly, answering his unasked question. Why did the voice sound so familiar?

Percy forced his eyes open, taking his first look at the girl leaning over him.

It couldn't be-

No-

How?

Why was she here?

Did she know?!

 _Annabeth_.

His heart ached as he looked up at the daughter of Athena. She was so close, and yet, he couldn't go back.

"You're- youre…," he stumbled over his words. Percy had to know. Had to know that it wasn't some illusion. Had to know that his girlfriend was actually here.

"Yes, I'm a demigod. Daughter of Athena. Annabeth Chase."

"Why?" Percy forced the word out of his mouth slowly. He had to know.

"Why what?"

"Why are you here?"

"To figure out why this happened." Annabeth frowned, her face twisting up into her 'I'm thinking' face. "I'm guessing you haven't heard, but the mist just collapsed. I'm here to figure out why it affected you and your fellow mortal students."

"Oh."

Percy could barely wrap his head around it. _The mist is gone._ Poof. Never coming back.

Does that mean that _they'd_ stop. That he could finally go back? That his reason for leaving was gone?

Percy shook his head. No, they'd still be coming for him. It was unrealistic to think otherwise.

"How are you feeling?" She held her pencil, ready to record notes.

"Uh.." Percy looked up into her grey eyes, lost in the swirling orbs. He scanned her face, which was modeled into an expression of polite interest. Percy could see that she didn't want to stay long. That she was almost eager to go somewhere else.

It broke his heart.

"I'm fine I guess."

"Really?" She gave him a slight smirk. "C'mon, you just passed out. You're probably feeling like crap."

"Why do you want to know?"

"What? I just explained it to you; I'm seeing how the mist affected…-"

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I can tell that you don't want to be here right now. Why are you even pretending to care? Why not just send some Apollo camper?"

Her face turned into one of annoyance. "It's not your job to question me." She took a deep breath, seemingly calming herself, but Percy knew better. " _How are you feeling?_ "

"My head is pounding and I really just want to go back to sleep, but other than that I feel fantastic. Absolutely splendid."

She scribbled a couple words down, and rose to her feet.

"I have to go check on the other students. It was nice meeting you…?" The words were forced, and entirely fake. Percy felt bad. He didn't mean to rile her up. He just wanted to know why she was here.

"Alex." Percy's voice shook, "Alex Hawthorne."

Annabeth nodded in response, but seemed focused on his chin, or the surrounding area.

Percy tentatively raised a hand to his mouth. Did he have dirt there?

"You- you drool when you sleep." She almost choked the words out, turning on her heel and stalking the other direction.

Percy was going to cry.

He missed her so much. _Curse the gods, the fates, and every MYTHICAL BEING OUT THERE._ He wanted his life. He wanted his life with Annabeth.

He raised his head to watch Annabeth talk to other students.

Percy could have sworn that she raised her hand to wipe away a tear.

"Dude, you okay?" Emmett knelt by Percy's side.

Percy nodded, keeping his eyes pinned on Annabeth.

"Hey Emmett, do you wanna come over to my place after school?" Percy asked offhandedly. He needed someone to talk to. He didn't want to spend another night alone in his apartment, watching an episode of his life broadcasted on national television.

"Uh...yeah. Sure. I mean, we've never really done anything outside of school. Also, I think that school is basically over now. Let's go I guess."

Percy stood up and hefted his backpack onto his shoulder.

"We can just leave? They aren't checking out students?"

"Nah." Emmett shrugged, as he followed Percy towards the door. "The school's kinda a mess right now."

"Ok."

Percy stepped outside into the chilly air, breathing in deeply. He took one look back inside, at Annabeth who was helping a fellow classmate stand.

He felt like a jerk for leaving.

* * *

Percy almost laughed when he unlocked the door to his apartment.

"Man, you never told me that you liked video games," Emmett paused as he took in the scene. "You also never told me that you had a GIGANTIC collection of them."

Percy shrugged as he stared at the pile of containers scattered across his floor. Attached to his television was a fancy new game console.

It must have been one of the gods.

Percy made a mental note to remember to give them a large sacrifice later. They had been nice, and almost sympathetic to Percy lately. First getting him this life, and now furnishing his apartment so that it looked like he was a normal teenage boy.

"It never came up."

Percy strolled over to the fridge and wrenched open the doors, displaying a full array of food. That hadn't been there before. Recently, he had been sustaining himself on noodles and the occasional take-out. Percy was a terrible cook.

A large grin filled his face. "You want something to eat?"

Emmett nodded as he dramatically plopped on Percy's sofa.

"Of course I do! I've barely eaten all day! I'm practically _starving_."

Percy laughed, the first sign of happiness that he had shown in several weeks. "You ate three sandwiches at lunch and _my apple._ "

"That was nothing, just a mere snack." Emmett assumed a rather regal pose as he lounged on the sofa, "Hurry up peasant! Bring me my food! Chop chop, let's get moving."

Percy grabbed the first thing in the fridge he could find - a bread roll - and chucked it at his friend's head.

"Hey!"

Percy bowed down mockingly. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Your Majesty?"

"Get over here and turn on your tv. I'm gonna crush you in this game."

Percy stalked over, sighing louder than he needed to. "Why must you make me do _everything_."

He shoved the disc into the compartment, and pressed the power button, praying to the gods that something would actually happen.

The screen flickered on, a bright light illuminating the room.

Percy grabbed a controller and tossed one to Emmett.

"Your royal butt is going down."

Emmett let out a low chuckle, not removing his eyes from the screen. "You don't stand a chance."

* * *

Percy knew he was a goner within five minutes of the first round.

Emmett was _good_. Really good.

Percy began lasting longer towards their tenth game, but he still lost every time. But he was okay with it.

He hadn't had this much fun since _before_.

Percy felt somewhat guilty for laughing and having a good time since he had abandoned his friends and family. However, spending time with Emmett, doing normal things, had help reduce the sharp pain in his chest to a dull ache.

He felt lighter.

"Wow Alex. No offense, but you really really suck." Emmett shook his head in mock disappointment, "I thought you'd be better than this."

"It's not my fault that you probably spend half your life playing these games. I don't have the same experience as you." Percy sat up on the floor and stared Emmett in the face.

"Teach me your ways, _your highness_."

"It's gonna take a while. I have a lot of skill and technique to pass on."

Percy checked his watch. "It's only eight. We have time."

"Eight!" Emmett sat straight up, suddenly alert.

"Do you have somewhere you have to be?"

"No. But you know what happens at eight! _The next episode!_ "

"Oh." Percy's smile left his face as he reached for the tv remote. "We don't have to watch that."

"Seriously? Don't you find it interesting!?" Emmett leaned over and snatched the remote out of Percy's hand. "I want to watch it."

He flipped through that channels before stopping on the one that Percy desperately wanted to avoid.

The tv blared out the regular introduction, along with a warning attached.

"Welcome back mortals for the next episode. I would like to advise parents of children to potentially limit the viewing of this episode as it contains graphic and violent scenes."

This time it was Leo giving the introduction to the video, but his voice lacked the humor it normally contained

Percy knew why. He knew what episode they were on. The demigod's quests and adventures had been playing on tv for several weeks now, so it made sense that they were getting toward the end.

 _Tartarus_.

They played a recap from the night before, showing Percy and Annabeth hanging from the edge of that cliff while the rest of the Argo's crew watched in horror.

Percy's face went pale as he stared at the screen. As he watched them fall. As they fought their way through. As they lost Bob. As they struggled to make it out.

Emmett sat next to him in fascinated horror, all laughter gone from his eyes. They didn't talk. They both just stared at the screen.

Time seemed to fly by as Percy sat there, frozen and expressionless. He was barely watching the events occur on the tv, instead reliving every moment inside his head.

He wanted to cry out. He wanted to scream at Emmett to turn it off. Couldn't his friend see what it was doing to him? Couldn't he see how watching this was tearing Percy up from the inside?

And then, it was all over.

Emmett grabbed the remote and flicked off the screen, leaving the room in almost total darkness.

Percy took deep, rasping breaths as his body shook violently. He slowly uncurled himself and rose from the sofa.

"I'm going to bed. You can sleep on the sofa if you want."

Emmett nodded, his face betraying no emotion as he watched Percy walk to his room."

* * *

Percy and Emmett ate breakfast solemnly the next morning, each avoiding the elephant in the room.

"I should probably get home soon."

Percy nodded.

"Are you ok?"

There it was. That question and the look that went with it. The one that made Percy feel weak. Like he was an invalid. Like he couldn't take care of himself.

"Yeah I am." The answer came out more violently than Percy had meant, and he felt guilty as he looked at Emmett's hurt face.

"I'm sorry, I'm just tired. But yeah, I'm good."

Emmett raised an eyebrow in response and rose to put his dishes in the sink. On his way, he stopped and picked up a thin, white envelop on the counter.

The blood drained from Percy's face. "Don't look at that. It's private."

Emmett waved the envelope in the air. "It's from the government."

"I know. Now put it down."

"What do they want? Taxes? Or are you involved in something bigger?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Set it down." Percy's heart beat quickly as he stared at the boy in front of him. His secret was moments away from being revealed.

"Ok." Emmett placed the envelope back on the counter, and crossed his arms. "I won't read your _personal_ letters, but I do want some answers. Why were you so affected by the episode last night?"

"You saw it; it was pretty gruesome and terrible. I don't think that there's anyone who wouldn't be affected."

"But that doesn't explain why it seemed like you had a panic attack over it!" Emmett paused for a second, mulling it over. "You're so secretive. You are detached from the rest of our classmates and you don't seem interested in having friends. It took weeks for you to have more than a polite conversation with me! You're hiding something."

"So? Why do you care? Why did you even want to be friends with me in the first place? What are you getting out of this?" Percy snapped. He didn't want to have this conversation. Not now, not ever,

"I'm not getting anything out of this other than a friend. I just wanted a friend."

Percy scowled. "Maybe you'd have more friends if you'd stop prying into other people's business."

He instantly wanted to take it back. Emmett hadn't really done anything at all. Percy was still on edge from the video the night before, and he hadn't gotten much sleep. But still, Emmett didn't deserve it.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."

"I'll see you on Monday." And with that, Percy's one and only friend stormed out of his apartment, leaving his jacket and shoes behind.


End file.
